News of sports

Sports journalists Andrea Guerrero from Colombia and Juan José Buscaglia from Argentina present the draw of the Copa América 2020 football tournament at the Convention Centre in Cartagena, Colombia, on December 3, 2019. The Copa América 2020 football tournament will be hosted jointly by Argentina and Colombia next year, from June 12 to July 12. Asian champions Qatar and previous winner Australia will participate as invited guest teams.

Australia, Qatar pull out of 2021 Copa América

23-02-2021 21:01 Australia and Qatar have pulled out of the 2021 Copa América starting in June, South American football's governing body CONMEBOL confirms.

Diego Maradona, pictured a few weeks before his death.

DEATH OF DIEGO MARADONA

Prosecutors convene medical board to rule on Maradona's death

23-02-2021 13:17 Prosecutors to convene a medical board on March 8 to decide whether or not Diego Armando Maradona received proper medical treatment before his death.

Marcelo Bielsa watches on from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on February 19, 2021.

FOOTBALL – PREMIER LEAGUE

Bielsa says Leeds should wait before extending his contract

22-02-2021 13:01 Marcelo Bielsa says it would be better for Leeds United to wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to extend his contract.

Aldosivi and Godoy Cruz clash at the Estadio “José María Minella,” in the opening round of Zona A of the Copa de la Liga Profesional.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Emotions run high on opening weekend of season

20-02-2021 07:24 Ricardo Zielinski was one of 10 new coaches on display on the opening weekend, and each fared mixed fortunes.

by Dan Edwards

Adriana #14 of Brazil celebrates her goal against Romina Nunez #18 of Argentina during the SheBelieves Cup at Exploria Stadium on February 18, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

Covid-ravaged Argentina slump to defeat in SheBelieves Cup

20-02-2021 07:19 Albiceleste women’s side loses 4-1 to Brazil in opener. Preparations for the game were rocked just hours before kick off after four players tested positive for Covid-19.

Leopoldo Luque (1949-2021)

World Cup winner Luque dies of heart attack after contracting Covid

16-02-2021 14:53 World Cup winner Leopoldo Jacinto Luque died on Monday of a heart attack while he was receiving treatment for Covid-19.

Godoy Cruz striker Santiago 'Morro' García.

FOOTBALL

Uruguayan striker Santiago García’s death confirmed as suicide

13-02-2021 09:35 Godoy Cruz striker Santiago 'Morro' García was found dead last Saturday at his home; Courts confirm Uruguayan, a fan’s favourite, took his own life.

BOCA JUNIORS

Boca and evergreen Tevez aim big, amid unwelcome distractions

13-02-2021 09:29 It would not be a Boca pre-season without at least a few rumours of both Tevez's dissatisfaction and general unrest in the club camp.

by Dan Edwards

This handout photo released by the press officer for Diego Armando Maradona shows the Argentine football legend shaking hands with his doctor, Leopoldo Luque, at the Olivos clinic.

DEATH OF DIEGO MARADONA

Maradona death probe widens to include nurses, psychologist

09-02-2021 09:17 A psychologist and two nurses – one male, one female – who helped care for Diego Maradona before his death have been added to a widening involuntary manslaughter probe.

FOOTBALL

Crespo quits Defensa y Justicia after Copa Sudamericana title

08-02-2021 15:12 Former Argentina striker Hernán Crespo has left his role as coach of Defensa y Justicia after leading the club to the Copa Sudamericana title last month.

People queue outside a vaccination centre at River Plate’s basketball court, bellow the grandstand of the Monumental stadium, in Buenos Aires.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Theatres, football clubs join fight against Covid-19

06-02-2021 10:21 Buenos Aires’ legendary Teatro Colón and some of the capital’s most beloved football clubs are assisting the battle against coronavirus, becoming testing and vaccinating sites.

Diego Armando Maradona, the football star.

IDOL’S LAST DAYS

Leaked messages reignite controversy over Maradona’s death

06-02-2021 09:25 Scandalous new details of Diego Maradona’s final days emerged this week, as rows and allegations continue to swirl over the late footballing legend’s death.

Platense´s celebrations after winning the game.

LOCAL FOOTBALL

Platense return to Argentina’s top fight after 22-year absence

06-02-2021 09:21 The Calamar defeat Estudiantes de Río Cuarto on penalties to win promotion.

LOCAL FOOTBALL

Argentine football continues to come back in torrents

06-02-2021 09:16 The dust has barely settled on the Copa Diego Armando Maradona but in just one week's time, the 26 Primera teams will lock horns once more in a brand-new tournament.

by Dan Edwards

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has joined local giants Boca Juniors for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced on February 2, 2021.

ROJO RETURNS TO ARGENTINA

Man Utd's Marcos Rojo completes Boca Juniors switch

02-02-2021 14:58 Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has joined local giants Boca Juniors for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Platense desperate to end 22-year stay outside top flight

30-01-2021 09:03 To teams and their fans stuck in the lower reaches of the football pyramid, every moment away from the promised land of the top flight can feel like an eternity. Platense know that sensation better than most.

by Dan Edwards

Football players Pedro de la Vega and Jose Sand.

COPA SUDAMERICANA

Pepe and Pepo head Lanús’ push for second Copa Sudamericana title

23-01-2021 10:40 The financial devastation caused by the events of the last 12 months prompted Lanús to look even more closely at their young talent.

by Dan Edwards

In this August 13, 2020 file photo, Barcelona's Lionel Messi waves as he arrives at the the team's hotel in Lisbon, Portugal.

TRANSFER SPECULATION

PSG's Pochettino guarded over Messi move

20-01-2021 10:59 Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino played his cards close to his chest when tackled on Spanish radio over a potential move for Lionel Messi.

Players from Boca Juniors' women's team celebrate winning the Transicion 2020 title, after defeating River Plate 7-0.

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Boca thrash River to claim Argentina's inaugural women's pro football title

20-01-2021 08:07 Boca Juniors thrash arch-rivals River Plate 7-0 to claim inaugural professional women's football championship title.

Ángel Cabrera

Brazil arrests Ángel Cabrera, fugitive golfer accused of abuse

15-01-2021 14:19 Ángel Cabrera, wanted by Interpol on domestic violence charges, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro Thursday, and will be extradited to Argentina to stand trial.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Libertadores: River's heroics fall just short, timid Boca fail to get going

15-01-2021 01:25 Any hopes (or fears) of a repeat of 2018's Superclásico Copa Libertadores were extinguished over the course of 48 hours this week.

by Dan Edwards

COPA LIBERTADORES

Santos beat Boca to secure all-Brazil Copa Libertadores final

13-01-2021 23:40 Santos defeated Boca Juniors 3-0 to set up an all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores final after a one-sided semi-final victory in São Paulo on Wednesday.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Palmeiras into Libertadores final after VAR thwarts River

13-01-2021 10:19 River dominate semi-final second leg at a empty Allianz Parque stadium in São Paulo, but are twice denied a legendary comeback by controversial VAR decisions.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Boca and River fail to get going in Libertadores semi-finals

09-01-2021 08:37 Xeneize retain hopes of advancing, although they will have to up their efforts significantly. For the Millo, only a near-miracle will secure passage to Rio.

by Dan Edwards

From left to right: Lionel Scaloni, Claudio Tapia and Javier Mascherano.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM

Mascherano to take up youth development role with Albiceleste

07-01-2021 15:57 36-year-old and national team legend agrees to head up a new department focused on youth development, AFA announces.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Boca, Santos play out tense Copa Libertadores stalemate

06-01-2021 23:16 Xenieze and Santos out a tense 0-0 draw at an empty Bombonera stadium in their Copa Libertadores semi-final first leg tie.

Mauricio Pochettino takes a PSG training session.

FRENCH FOOTBALL

Pochettino starts at PSG with no time to waste

05-01-2021 00:00 Refreshed after a year out of the game, Argentine coach has resurfaced at a club where he was a popular player: Paris Saint-Germain.

Manchester United's Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 29, 2020.

RACISM ROW

Uruguayan players' union slams English FA for Cavani 'racism' ban

04-01-2021 15:39 Uruguayan Football Players' Association launches scathing attack on the English Football Association for banning Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani over use of 'negrito' in a social media post.

Pope Francis attends an audience with participants of a course on the Internal Forum promoted by the Apostolic Penitentiary Court, in the Pope Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Friday, March 29, 2019.

ARGENTINE PONTIFF

Pope recalls his youth playing football, dubs Maradona "poet"

03-01-2021 16:16 The first pope from Latin America called Diego Maradona a "poet" on the field, as he weighed in on the joys of sport in an interview with Italian newspaper.

La Pulguita and La Pulga, preparing for a capybara asado.

2021: THE YEAR IN PREVIEW

What lies ahead for Argentine football in 2021

02-01-2021 08:57 Your (tongue-firmly-in-cheek) guide to what lies ahead for Argentine football in the next 12 months.

by Dan Edwards

DEATH OF DIEGO MARADONA

Maradona suffered from liver, kidney, heart disorders, says autopsy

24-12-2020 03:59 Report says footballer had no alcohol or narcotics in his body at time of his death.

Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Valladolid FC and FC Barcelona at the Jose Zorilla stadium in Valladolid on December 22, 2020.

RECORD-BREAKER

Messi passes Pelé as top scorer at a single club

22-12-2020 23:03 Lionel Messi beat Pelé's record of goals for a single club when he scored his 644th for Barcelona on Tuesday.

Alejandro Sabella, pictured after signing for Sheffield United in 1978 and Diego Maradona, pictured playing for Argentina in 1977.

A LA CANCHA

What might have been: Sabella and Maradona in Sheffield

19-12-2020 09:23 Late footballer and national team coach Alejandro Sabella was a fans favourite during his time with English side Sheffield United – and he was nearly joined in South Yorkshire by Diego Maradona.

by Dan Edwards

COPA LIBERTADORES

Argentine sides remain in running as Copa Libertadores nears end

12-12-2020 10:00 By the time the Libertadores finally bids farewell to 2020 on the eve of Christmas Eve, there will be at least one Argentine team among South America's four top sides.

by Dan Edwards

Mara Gómez of Villa San Carlos vies for the ball with Luciana Nievas of Lanús during a first division women’s football match at the Genacio Salice stadium in Berisso, Buenos Aires Province.

TRANS RIGHTS

Trans footballer Mara Gómez makes history with women's league debut

09-12-2020 09:58 Footballer Mara Gómez makes history, becoming first transgender player to play a match in Argentina's women's championship.

OBITUARY

Former Albiceleste coach Alejandro Sabella dies from cancer aged 66

09-12-2020 09:53 Former national team coach Alejandro Sabella has died at the age of 66 from cancer, local media said on Tuesday.

Street artist Alfredo Segatori paints a mural of late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona in La Boca.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

Street artist unveils La Boca mural to 'Saint' Diego Maradona

09-12-2020 09:33 Street artist Alfredo Segatori paints a huge mural, 20 metres high and 40 metres wide, in the capital to honour late footballing great Diego Maradona.

FOOTBALL

Messi, Ronaldo set to renew stellar rivalry in Champions League

07-12-2020 12:30 Lionel Messi's rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has enthralled football for the better part of a decade, and the pair will duel for potentially the final time when Barcelona host Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Australia's Jake Gordon (left) tries to tackle Argentina's Julián Montoya during the 2020 Tri-Nations rugby match between the Australia and Argentina in Sydney on December 5, 2020.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

Under-fire Pumas pay low-key tribute to Maradona

06-12-2020 17:12 The Pumas paid an on-field tribute to Diego Maradona Saturday, with the national rugby team wearing No. 10 on the sleeve of their jerseys after being slammed for not doing enough to honour the late football legend.

RUGBY

Battling Pumas put scandal to one side as they claim draw with Australia

06-12-2020 17:12 Pumas play out 16-16 draw with Wallabies, ensuring Argentina finishes second in Tri Nations tournament.

Two street signs in Buenos Aires, which have been altered by residents to pay tribute to late footballing great Diego Maradona.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

City lawmakers want to name street after Maradona

06-12-2020 16:54 Late footballing great Diego Maradona could have a street in Buenos Aires named after him, if a a proposal put forward Friday by city council lawmakers to honour the star.

THE WEEK

What we learned this week: November 28 to December 5

05-12-2020 09:27 Stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

by Michael Soltys

RUGBY

From ‘unacceptable’ to ‘great men’ – Racism scandal engulfs Pumas

05-12-2020 08:37 Just weeks ago, Argentina’s national rugby team was riding high after bagging its first ever win over New Zealand. Now the Pumas are gripped by a racism scandal that threatens to cast a dark shadow over the game.

Mara Digiuni, lawyer of the surgeon of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, Leopoldo Luque, talks to the media outside the district attorney's office in San Isidro, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, on November 30, 2020.

DEATH OF DIEGO MARADONA

Investigators await test results as fallout from Maradona’s death rumbles on

03-12-2020 23:59 Toxicological studies, heart tests, swabs, investigations and questions of care – the ‘circus’ surrounding the death of footballing great Diego Maradona continues to grow, but still no indictments.

Racing Club's Fabricio Domínguez celebrates after scoring against Brazil's Flamengo during the penalty shoot-out of their closed-door Copa Libertadores round before the quarter-finals football match at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 1, 2020.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Racing end Flamengo's Copa Libertadores defence with penalty shoot-out win

02-12-2020 13:24 Flamengo's defence of their Copa Libertadores title has ended at the last 16 stage, after the Brazilian giants crashed out on penalties at the hands of Racing Club.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt not for sale, says retired England player

01-12-2020 22:06 Former England midfielder Steve Hodge has insisted the shirt worn by Diego Maradona in scoring two iconic goals against the Three Lions in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final is not for sale.

RUGBY

Pumas dump rugby captain Matera, two other players over xenophobic posts

01-12-2020 00:08 Argentina rugby skipper Pablo Matera was stripped of the captaincy and suspended over "discriminatory and xenophobic" tweets on Tuesday. Two other players, Guido Petti and Santiago Socino, were also punished.

Leopoldo Luque, Diego Maradona's personal doctor, speaks with journalists outside his home in Adrogué.

DEATH OF DIEGO MARADONA

Leopoldo Luque denies wrongdoing as Maradona death probe heats up

30-11-2020 00:30 The home and offices of Diego Maradona’s personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque, were raided on Sunday as the investigation into the late football legend's death took a dramatic twist.

Lionel Messi pays tribute to Diego Maradona.

Maradona tributes

Messi takes Newell's to Camp Nou as Maradona tributes continue

30-11-2020 00:06 Clubs across Europe continued to pay tribute to Diego Maradona on Sunday, with Lionel Messi taking a little bit of Newell's Old Boys with particularly poignant moments in Italy and Spain where the Argentine played.

A helium balloon with the shape of a football and a kite in Argentine colours and the number 10 are displayed in tribute to Maradona, before a Copa Diego Maradona 2020 match between Racing Club and Union at the Presidente Perón Stadium in Avellaneda, on November 28, 2020.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

Tears and memories as Argentina's top flight returns without Maradona

29-11-2020 08:41 The first games in Argentina's top flight since the death of Diego Maradona kicked off Saturday amid tears and memories, with the club he last coached notching up a victory in tribute to the footballing genius.

An injured New Zealand team captain Sam Cane shakes hands with Argentina players after their 2020 Tri-Nations rugby match between New Zealand and Argentina at the McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on November 28, 2020.

Rugby: Tri Nations

All Blacks bounce back to crush grieving Pumas

29-11-2020 08:19 Argentina, playing just days after the death of football legend Diego Maradona, lacked cohesion after making 10 changes to side for clash against New Zealand, who were seeking revenge.

Players from both teams and referees form a M to pay homage to the late Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Girondins de Bordeaux (FCGB) at the Parc de Princes stadium in Paris on November 28, 2020.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

Sport pays tribute to Maradona with tears, applause, silence, banners and song

29-11-2020 08:12 On the first weekend of sporting action since the death of Diego Maradona, sports, leagues and teams round the world on Saturday paid tribute to the Argentine football great.

The hearse carrying Diego Maradona’s funeral casket is mobbed as it departs the Casa Rosada for the cemetery.

EDITORIAL

Maradona: The national mourning is also global

28-11-2020 09:09 Argentina’s greatest sporting idol born and died in the same metropolis, yet the contrast between the Villa Fiorito slum of his birth and the San Andrés gated community of his death could hardly be greater – renewed testimony to this country’s extreme social inequalities.

Chaotic scenes in Buenos Aires as people line up to pay their respects to Diego Maradona.

DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA (1960-2020)

Nation bids chaotic final farewell to its favourite son

28-11-2020 08:56 Huge crowds bade a grief-filled farewell to Diego Armando Maradona on Thursday, before the legendary footballer was buried on the outskirts of Buenos Aires after a chaotic public wake.

A scientific police van carrying Maradona’s body leaves the gated community where he died, in Benavidez, Buenos Aires Province, on November 25, 2020.

THE DEATH OF MARADONA

Police open probe as details of Maradona’s final hours emerge

28-11-2020 08:52 Family concerned by “irregularities” in statement from nurse who was caring for late footballing legend. Prosecutors believe Maradona passed away in his sleep.

Maradona with Argentina’s political leaders.

MARADONA & POLITICS

Maradona, a Peronist with a high political profile

28-11-2020 08:46 No fan of Mauricio Macri, Diego Maradona did not shy away from expressing his political views. A self-declared Peronist and fan of left-wing Latin American leaders, he famously viewed Fidel Castro as a hero.

Diego Maradona kisses the World Cup trophy after Argentina’s 3-2 victory over West Germany in 1986, at the Azteca stadium, Mexico City.

OBITUARY: DIEGO MARADONA (1960-2020)

Maradona: the icon who lead Argentina to glory

28-11-2020 08:41 Diego Maradona was arguably the greatest football player ever. Despite his flaws and demons, he was worshiped in Argentina.

OBITUARY: DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA (1960-2020)

Why Maradona was better than Messi, Ronaldo, all of them

28-11-2020 08:34 The 'pibe de oro' was the greatest player of all time. He, above everyone else, came closest to defying the dictum that football is a team sport.

A rebel to the bone, genuine, charismatic and 100 percent controversial, all this and more constructed the myth of Diego.

DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA (1960-2020)

The life, death and philosophy of Diego Maradona

28-11-2020 08:06 A rebel to the bone, genuine, charismatic and 100 percent controversial, all this and more constructed the myth of Diego.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA (1960-2020)

Thank you, Diego, forever

28-11-2020 07:41 Maradona’s greatness as a player, as a representative of Argentine sport, transcends all class and political divides.

by Francisco Aldaya

Maradona, 1986, versus England in Mexico.

DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA (1960-2020)

Maradona: Out of this world

28-11-2020 07:35 Diego Armando Maradona, the popular icon that Argentina was crying out for, blessed us mortals with 60 years in his magnetic presence. But now, the ‘Cosmic Kite’ has finally been called back to his home planet.

by Dan Edwards

Fans queue outside the Casa Rosada, waiting to pay their respects to Diego Maradona.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

Billionaire Eurnekian vows to build Maradona statue at Ezeiza

28-11-2020 07:15 Billionaire Eduardo Eurnekian is preparing to fulfil an old promise to Maradona by erecting a statue of the late player at Ezeiza international airport.

Buenos Aires' police members stand guard outside the morgue where Diego Maradona's body underwent an autopsy , in San Fernando, Buenos Aires province, on November 25, 2020.

Diego Armando Maradona

Workers who took photos with Maradona’s dead body apologise

27-11-2020 23:30 Employees at a morgue who photographs posing alongside Diego Maradona’s dead boy have apologised for the distress they have caused, while at least one is believed to have lost his job.

Diego Maradona's daughter, Dalma Maradona (left), and ex-wife Claudia Villafane leave the Casa Rosada to the cemetery, in Buenos Aires on November 26, 2020.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

Maradona's death may trigger family inheritance battle

27-11-2020 22:54 Diego Maradona's tormented private life, with its tangled relationships and paternity suits, suggests distributing his inheritance will be a complex task for lawyers bracing for claims from a slew of children – those he recognised and those he didn't.

Aerial view of the burial of Armando Maradona at the Jardín Bella Vista cemetery, in Buenos Aires Province, on November 26, 2020.

Diego Armando Maradona (1960-2020)

Maradona finally laid to rest after chaotic day of emotion and drama

27-11-2020 04:25 Huge crowds bade a grief-filled adieu Thursday to Diego Maradona during a farewell that at times descended into chaos.

Police detain a man during clashes while fans wait to enter the Government House to pay tribute to late football legend Diego Armando Maradona in Buenos Aires, on November 26, 2020.

MARADONA'S WAKE

Chaotic scenes at Maradona's wake as police clash with fans

26-11-2020 16:33 Riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas in clashes with football fans near the Casa Rosada on Thursday, as chaotic scenes were seen at Diego Maradona's wake.

Handout photo released by Argentina's Presidency of players of the coffin of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona during his wake at the burning chapel of the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires on November 26, 2020.

Diego Armando Maradona

Outrage as photos of Maradona's dead body in coffin leak online

26-11-2020 15:58 Social networks erupt in anger after images leaked online of Diego Armando Maradona’s dead body in his coffin. Photos show an individual, believed to be a worker at the morgue, posing for an image alongside funeral casket, with late footballer's face visible.

The closed casket, where Diego Armando Maradona's body lies in state, pictured at the Casa Rosada.

MARADONA'S WAKE

Mourners bid final farewell to Maradona at the Casa Rosada

26-11-2020 10:49 Mourners, many in tears and many wearing the World Cup winner's number 10 Argentina shirt, flock to the Casa Rosada, where the national hero's coffin was draped in the sky-blue-and-white national flag.

Diego Armando Maradona

Argentina prepares for a huge and emotional farewell to Maradona

26-11-2020 01:59 Officials make preparations for Maradona's wake at Casa Rosada. Government estimates as many as one million people will want to pay their respects to legendary late footballer.

A father and her daughter, both fans of Diego Maradona, mourn as they gather by the Obelisk to pay homage on the day of his death in Buenos Aires, on November 25, 2020.

Diego Armando Maradona

Nation mourns Maradona, the most human of Gods

26-11-2020 00:29 Nation plunged into grief by the death of its favourite son, a sublimely gifted sporting hero they saw as "the most human of Gods."